Roar's Murdocca respects SydFC's Del Piero

Date: November 14 2012

Wayne Heming

Brisbane midfielder Massimo Murdocca has no plans to 'cheap shot' Sydney FC superstar Alessandro Del Piero when the two A-League clubs meet on Friday despite the pressure on the Roar to halt a disturbing early-season form crisis.

Losing 4-1 to Melbourne Heart last Friday dumped the two-time defending champions into unfamiliar waters at the bottom of the ladder.

Their worst start to a season has raised concerns they've lost some of the killer instinct under new coach Rado Vidosic, who was Ange Postecoglou's right-hand man during the club's two title wins.

Murdocca says he won't be overawed by the enormity of his assignment against the best overseas import to grace the A-League but will be respectful of Del Piero's standing in the game.

"I'll leave him alone. I've got a lot of respect for the guy," he said on Wednesday.

"I'll be trying to win the ball off him but no dirty tackles."

Murdocca said the World Cup-winning Del Piero had been his idol for years.

"I'm looking forward to marking him and being on his backside all night and talking to him after the game," he said.

"Everyone's dream in this league is to be an overseas player so - to have someone like him come out and be in our league, who is at a standard that we can only ever dream of being - that's something people have to appreciate."

Murdocca was also open about Brisbane's form and what was required to turn it around.

"It's a tough time at the moment - there's no doubt about that," said the club's most-capped player.

"With the success we've had the last couple of years, we expected to be a lot higher up the ladder.

"They say that the good players really shine through the bad times.

"We got out of a rut during a five-game (losing) streak last year and we've got to do it again.

"This week is such an important game being 'state of origin', so to speak. It's a massive game for us and we're going out to win."

While Brisbane's super-boot striker Besart Berisha was able to get through another training session without his abdominal injury flaring up, quality goalkeeper Michael Theo was not between the sticks, sidelined with a dodgy calf muscle.

Reserve 'keeper Matt Acton trained instead and is on standby to make his A-League debut if needed.

Sydney FC's players head north under immense pressure to hold their places following the resignation of coach Ian Crook in the fallout from last weekend's 3-2 loss to Melbourne Victory on the back of their horror 7-2 thumping to Central Coast the week before.

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